in loving memory

great grandpa burton

quick update

*we have been in utah--me & the kids, since the 17th. and shawn, since the 21st. we were planning on going home yesterday but...

*shawn's grandpa died on thursday. the funeral is on wednesday. he was 93. he barely moved out of his house about a month ago--the house that he built about 60 or 70 years ago. he was an amazing man.

*i got a new sewing machine for christmas...but it is in eagle.

*my favorite thing said on christmas day was said by mikey when he was playing his new wii monster truck game: "holy cwap! i can't get dis baby to go."

*my other favorite thing was said by mikey when we were visiting my grandma and my aunt at the care center. he was walking behind (and somewhat stuck behind) my aunt kaffy (as he calls her) as she was pushing herself in her wheelchair into the room: "hey, move it or lose it lady."

*i love my hot pink toe nails from my pedicure i got last night with my mom, katie, annie, mickey and mandy.

*we have eaten out so much! and i have loved it!

*i miss alice!

going where no (wo)man has gone before...

so the other day i was in la-la land. really, i was occupied in my own little world...but i was in a public place. and i needed to powder my nose. apparently i was not even close to paying attention because when i entered the powder room and looked around, i realized there were porcelain fixtures that aren't normally in the ladies room. for a split second i thought i might be in a coed-bathroom (like on ally mcbeal) but then i realized a) i am in utah and 2) i have never really seen a coed bathroom. i was in the MENS bathroom (by the way, it is disgusting). fortunately, i was alone--at least i think so. i turned and darted out of there so fast that i almost knocked over the woman coming out of the ladies room. she looked confused and i burst out loud laughing...

how embarrassing. but, truthfully, this is not the first time i have done this...

november 30, 2007

here she is...




happier than a pig in poop...





i tried to take a picture of the deer we almost hit on the way home...can you see it? because i can't...

what to do?

the kids were playing with the kids next door the other day. shawn was listening in. this is what he heard:

david (anna's age): "anna you have to play fair!"
anna: "well, i'm a girl. sometimes, it's not fair."

fun with grandpa burton

no, i don't think don imus lives here

on the way home from the ward party, we were greeted by the beautiful christmas lights in the round-about. however, i think maybe they should fix a few of the lights in the "happy holidays" light display.

very sad indeed

shawn has been out of town this week. he'll be home on friday. he had to go to california to meet with the four seasons people (part of his new duties as a project manager). i thought he was staying at a four seasons. apparently not. but the owners of the one they are building in vail are staying at the one in california. for a discounted rate of $400 a night.

do you know what that means? even though my husband is building a four seasons hotel, i will never ever ever be able to stay in one.

pooh pooh to all of you--ha!

Get a Cash Advance

apparently i am a genius!!!

anna's orginal writings

shawn was at scouts last night. i put the kids to bed. i told anna she could do whatever she wanted in her bed while i mikey settled down. this is some of what she did--very creative for a second grader.


ANNA
Anna is my name.
Nintendo wii is my favorite game.
Never like to turn out the light.
Always like to stay up all night.


MIKEY
Monster trucks and race cars!
Ice cream and candy bars!
Kicking soccer balls
Eating spaghetti and meatballs.
Yelling at my sister. (this is my favorite line--)


DAD
Driving my truck on bumpy roads
Ate all the donuts
Did somebody say donuts?


LIZ
Loveliest one around
In my mind all day
Zipping around all the way.

i am not sure why she used my first name rather than mom when she used dad instead of shawn--mrs. psychologist's wife, any suggestions?

fives lists

5 things i was doing 10 years ago:
1. going to the university of utah
2. working at deseret book direct sales
3. celebrating 1 plus years of marriage
4. living on 10th east and 13th south
5. being a one car family (truck--1987 red chevy s10 pickup)


5 snacks i enjoy:
1. coke zero (i am trying to be good right now but really i love the real stuff)
2. crackers and cheese
3. chocolate
4. oreos
5. milk


5 songs i know the lyrics to:
1. entire sound of music soundtrack (i know the entire movie too but this is just a songs list)
2. minimum wage--they might be giants
3. me and julio down by the schoolyard
4. just about anything by garth brooks
5. les miserables


5 things i would do if i were a millionaire:
1. pay tithing (firm believer in tithing)
2. pay off debts--mine and family's
3. buy a new car
4. take whole stinkin' family on a cruise
5. i guess i better invest some


5 things i will never wear again:
1. units
2. any size in single digits
3. high tops
4. more than one pair of earrings
5. tapered pants


5 favorite toys
1. sewing machine (i need another one)
2. blogs
3. strawberry shortcake stuff
4. needle and thread (hand quilting, embroidery, etc)
5. crafts of any sort


5 things on my to-do list
1. clean house--kitchen, dining room, family room
2. watch survivor, the office
3. go to walmart
4. go to kelsey's to finish advent calendar
5. laundry (which i am guessing won't even get started but maybe i will surprise myself)

7 habit tuesday: the bad (and some REALLY ugly)

1. i bite my nails. really disgusting. i know.
2. i am VERY unorganized. it really sucks to not be able to find something when you need it.
3. i let the gas in my car go on empty for as long as possible.
4. i don't balance my checkbook regularly.
5. i don't shave my legs or pits very often.
6. i watch too much tv: regis & kelly, the view, beverly hills 90210, oprah, wheel of fortune, price is right, jeopardy, dancing with the stars, the bachelor, survivor, law and order--any of them, the office, monk, psych (just to name a few)
7. i start too many projects that i don't finish.

really this list could go on and on but i need to stop for my self-esteem to not drop anymore today. aren't you glad you are friends with me?

employment history

1. babysitter
2. janitor for a welding shop (completely disgusting) called PARDS
3. inventory taker at bookstore (once yearly for the last 12 years)
4. arctic circle order taker
5. porcelain figurine dry trimmer
6. housekeeper for super 8
7. matrixx marketing (2 weeks)
8. janitor for suu
9. assistant (to the) librarian
10. gift wrapper (seasonal)
11. secretary for law firm
12. bookseller
13. direct sales for another bookstore
14. kindergarten teacher
15. checker at a grocery store

i think i got it all...

shawn's employment history

1. suu construction department
2. j.a. black construction--built condos in mesquite
3. rocky mountain special events
4. bodell construction--built the biology building at the u
5. geodyne--estimator
6. herm hughes--estimator
7. layton construction--estimator

name this tune (line from a tune):

you're my hunny pumpkin lover
you're you my heart's delight
don't you want to go out tonight
and...

anna's christmas wish list

i found this in her room. here is her letter (spelled and punctuated as she has it):

Dear, Santa

I want theas please

1. Lap top
2. Antando D.S. (a nintendo?)
3. High School Musical 2 Soundtrack
4. Hannah Montana Soundtrack
5. Cell phone
6. art stuff
7. 100$
8. Holla Hoop
9. High Scholl Musical bord games of 1 and 2
10. foulders that are High School Musical
11. White bord (slate)
12. Hannah Montana doll and stage
13. High School Musical dolls (Sharpay and Ryan)


i was a little shocked about the laptop and the cell phone. and what is she going to do with $100? she's only in 2nd grad!!!

what? that's it you say? that's it i say...

so my computer is not working all that great. and it is already after nine o'clock and i am super tired. so, good night...

7 habit tuesday: the good

i stole this idea from alyssa. so here are 7 of my good habits:

1. i wear clean underwear everyday.
2. i read to and with my kids just about everyday.
3. i pray with my kids everyday.
4. i tell my family i love them everyday...multiple times.
5. i drink a glass of milk (or two) a day.
6. i take my medicine daily (very important--and i am stretching here for ideas).
7. i go to bed early and get up early (not that i want to but when school starts so stinkin' early).

okay, really i had a difficult time with this. maybe i should have done it on a day when i felt more accomplished.

she's a nut

anna has been bored today. she gave me some ideas for a blog. here they are--i don't really know how to develop them.

1. mikey has someone to play with and she doesn't

2. daddy's birthday is on thanksgiving this year




3. she sneeked some gushers

4. mikey is so lucky and she isn't





5. and she has on her lucky shirt (lucky because she wore it today and had a great day despite her horrible morning--according to her)


well, she just heard all the kids outside and she is gone. what a nut!

#34 from tiffany

ten things that get on my nerves:

1. people who start writing their checks AFTER the whole order is rung up...come on, people, get with it.

2. people who think they can drive through a cross walk even when mr. mick, the crossing guard, is in the middle of it waving his flashing stop sign.

3. people who have conversations with other people while talking to you on the phone...argh.

4. to go along with number 3, call waiting. i hate it. call me back please but don't put me on hold.

5. mean kindergarten teachers

6. cold french fries

7. tardiness

8. flakiness

9. liars

10. more than one gallon of milk being open at a time in my refrigerator (a common occurrence in this household).

this is for november 3rd

okay, so i missed yesterday. but i will still try to finish strong. shawn and i spent the day in denver. we went shopping. i bought more fabric to do a christmas quilt. and the kids were with a friend. who babysat for twelve hours! thank you kelsey! it was fun to just be with shawn.

halloween...

here is anna's jack-o-lantern. i obviously didn't take the photo soon enough. but she carved this all on her own and i think she did a great job. it was one of those sticker cut-out patterns.




rock on dude




here is mikey with his friend and next door neighor bianca. they are so cute together and the best of friends.





and anna the rock star, otherwise known as "anna" montana. and here is mikey the lion. anna is missing here headphone microphone thing--we couldn't find it of course.

just add "dogsitter" to my resume

so i am now an official dog sitter. anna's teacher just got this cute little thing and can't take him to school with her anymore (the principal said no more). so i volunteered to watch him. he is so stinkin' cute! seriosly, he fits in the palm of my hand. he i a teacup chihuahua. and his name is oreo (i would have named him harold--he looks like a harold to me).

boo hoo

we tried and tried to get tickets to the world series and we didn't get them. really, i am very sad. oh well. i am happy to have "home-couch advantage" (is that what it's called tiff?).

GO ROCKIES!

and the winter has begun...

we got our first snow last night. very exciting...

anna and friend, jordan, made a snowman this afternoon. isn't he cute?





just a little love for the snowman.

the kids had a lot of fun with the snow. i am afraid that winter is here to stay now. lucky us. have you got snow yet?

what's happening to my cute, nice boy?

i picked michael up from school. here's a bit of our (my) conversation:

me: mikey how was school today?

mikey: silence

me: mikey, did you have fun?

mikey: silence

me: did you sing? play games? read?

mikey: silence, again

me: more, more questions

mikey: silence

me: michael, how come you aren't answering me?

mikey: silence

me: michael, it's rude to not answer someone when they are talking to you.

mikey: mom, i am trying to ignore you.

me: (a bit stupified) well, you need to tell someone when you don't want to talk.

mikey: okay, i don't want to talk.

pretty good

You Are Likely a Second Born

At your darkest moments, you feel inadequate. At work and school. you do best when you're evaluating. When you love someone, you offer them constructive criticism. In friendship, you tend to give a lot of feedback - positive and negative. Your ideal careers are: accounting, banking, art, carpentry, decorating, teaching, and writing novels. You will leave your mark on the world with art and creative projects.

The Birth Order Predictor

10 things i love about my kitchen and dining room

1. my window from my entry way to my dining room. this is from some old house somewhere (thanks amber) and shawn hung it from the opening there. i love that you can peek into my dining room.






2. my little chicks from my mom that sit in a little corner window. i am always hoping to hear them cluck.






3. my chalkboard (thanks tiff for the idea). i especially love when shawn puts something on it. one night i was out and when i got back home, shawn had made a "fancy" dinner for the kids. macaroni in wine glasses, candlelight, the whole nine yards. he even wrote the "menu" on the chalkboard. it was so cute. i have a great husband.






4. mrs. meyer's clean day countertop spray in lemon verbena scent. yum (again, thanks tiff).





5. my old spice cans from my great grandma. they still have spices in them, if you need to spice up your life. ha ha.







6. i love my potrack with bonus lighting for over the sink! we looked everywhere for one and found this one at costco (love costco). shawn put it up and voila! we have created more cupboard space.





7. i love my shiny sink! thanks to fly lady for teaching me how to keep a shiny sink. the sink in our old house was white porcelain and it was really beat up. but our new sink can shine!





8. my trusty stool. i love it because it is very sturdy and can hold someone like me. i tend to be a bit short with even shorter arms, so the stool comes in very handy for those hard-to-reach cupboards. shawn hates this stool. the kids tend to drag it every where and get into every thing with it. but too bad for him!






9. the bathroom is just off the kitchen and i just love having a bathroom on the main floor. i have a couple of friends who live in townhomes a street over and there is no bathroom on the main floor. sucks for them.






10. i love our new bistro bar pub (take your pick of names) table. our dining room is carpeted (i don't recommend this) and so i try to keep the kids eating at this here table for easy clean-ups. and i love the little light above it. very fun.


so, there you have it. a peek into my kitchen and into my life. lucky you.

birthday registries?

anna was invited to a birthday party.

the invitation was normal. who, what, when, where. then at the bottom it informed us that the little girl was registered at "kidtopia", a toy store in eagle.

what? i know of wedding and even baby registry. but birthday? do they have this where you are? i am just out of the loop?

i think if they are going to have birthday registry, then they should have anniversary registry.

it's new to me.

what's a mom to do?

anna was making cards last night for her game of "the price is right" with mikey. i looked down and saw that she had spelled "right" wrong (rite was her spelling). i told her she spelled it wrong and suggested she correct it.

she looked at me and said, "i don't care. mikey can't read anyway."

huh. that wasn't my point. what a smarty.

read it, i think you will like it, even if you don't know him

scott d. morgan

non taken, i think

i started helping anna make a stupid bird's nest for her homework assignment. i couldn't figure it out. it bothered me that yesterday i saw a couple of the non-procrastinating parents' kids' nests and i don't think they were second grader made. i think they were bird made.

anyway, i told anna that maybe we should wait for shawn to get home so that he could help her build it.

"yeah," she said, "he is a lot better at this than you. no offense."

what? no offense? she told me she meant it in a nice way.

a few random thoughts...

--it was 24 degrees this morning walking the kids to school.

--we are trying to get colorado rockies world series tickets. now i know they haven't even won the nlcs (national league championship series) but if they end up not going then we can get our money back. oh, i am so excited. i have never been to a world series. what if they play the yankees?

--on a sadder note, a good man died over the weekend. brother scott morgan passed away early saturday morning. he was very sick and has been for a while. he had the strongest, most real testimony of the savior and of repentance. and he wasn't afraid to share it. he had a beautiful singing voice. i loved singing the hymns because you could always hear him above everyone else and it was always so joyful. i am just sad. my prayers are with tami, his dear wife.

do the ipod shuffle

the rules: turn on your ipod. go to shuffle songs and name the first ten songs that come up. no cheating: skipping songs.

1. out of control,oingo boing this song is good to me
2. rusty old american dream, david wilcox this is from my roommates at suu...makes me happy
3. pinch me, bare naked ladies hum, just there. i like it i suppose
4. what i like about you, the romantics reminds me of my old high school friend mary. good times.
5. me and julio down by the schoolyard, simon and garfunkel this is from my second year at suu...the week that shawn and i broke up i listen to this over and over and just knew that everything would be just fine. weird. i know.
6. island in the sun, weezer weezer, not necessarily this song, reminds me of suu too. mostly of shawn. good times
7. wannabe, spice girls good dancing song and i love to dance and sing really loud to this song
8. papa loves mambo, perry como thanks to tiff. love it.
9. ring of fire, johnny cash mikey's favorite song
10. the sweet escape, gwen stefani my latest itunes purchase. again, great for dancing and singing.

there you have it. my deep dark secrets all revealed. now you do the ipod shuffle.

no comment

so last night we watched the rockies game (go rockies!) and anna had on a padres tee shirt. (for those of you who don't know, the rockies played the padres for the wild card in the playoffs).

i asked shawn where she got that shirt (apparently it has been sitting in her closet and she decided to wear it to bed last night) because i couldn't remember where it came from.

anna replied (even though i just asked shawn) that she got it at the game she went to with grandma and grandpa burton and uncle cory and aunt cami.

i couldn't remember (and even now only have vague recollections) of her going to san diego with them while cory and cami lived there about three years ago.

i said (to shawn) how is it that she can remember going on a trip from when she was four that i can't remember.

anna replied "maybe because you weren't there, mom. duh."

tagged

tagged...

1. where did you meet your husband?

i met him at suu. at the bowling alley in enoch to be specific. he was hot.

2. what was the first thing you said to him?

not sure exactly but it probably went something like "you gotta dance after you get a strike" he never danced. but he was hot.

3. where was your first date?

on valentine's day we went to the pizza factory. yum. and had hawaiian pizza and yummy breadsticks. he was late picking me up. i was about to count him out when he showed up. he looked hot. i noticed there were flowers in the back seat. i thought it was so great. but he never gave them to me. i learned later that they were for his brother's girlfriend. they were going out later that night. after we took the car to his brother, we walked to the dog and duck for a little dessert, chess and live music. it was a perfect night. except for the flowers. he did give me candy--jelly bellies.

4. where was your first kiss?

in my lair...mood light and all. he couldn't resist me. i was hot.

5. how long did you date?

18 months with a 2 month hiatis.

6. did you have a long or a short engagment?

i suppose short. 2 months and 1 day.

7. where did you get engaged?

unofficially, on my parents' patio. officially on a trail at brighton. except he forgot to bring the ring on the hike--he left it in the truck.

8. where were you married?

salt lake temple

9. where did you honeymoon?

we went to seattle. after some mix up with the hotel and shawn losing his money, tickets, wallet, everything and we ended back a the airport, i cried wishing my dad had been there. it's a long story. but very shortly after my cry we rented a car and everything was all right. we also went to san fransisco from seattle. and went to my cousin's wedding. we had a great honeymoon.

i tag you.

hynm # what?

i had a dream the other night. very interesting. we were in sacrament meeting and we started singing the opening hymn.

"i believe in miracles
where you from
you sexy thing
i believe in miracles
since you came along
you sexy thing."

my first thought was that this song was quite inappropriate for church. however, i realized the song talked about believing in miracles and then i was okay with it.

to shawn on our 11th anniversary

we have been married for eleven years. i can hardly believe it. but yet i couldn't see it any other way. it seems that we have always been together. and i love that.

i love that you are my husband. i love that you are the father to our children. i could not have asked for a better dad for them. i love that you want to spend time with us and that being a family is very important to you. i love that you include the kids in everything you do. they truly love and adore you. what could be better.

i love that you work hard for us. you provide us with everything we need and even a few extras. i am so proud of you for your accoplishments. i am proud of the courage you have and the dedication to make our life better.

i love that life is so easy with you. you help me to not be so serious. you make me laugh--always. you help me to see the good all around me. you support me in all my crazy ideas. i know you love me for who i am.

thank you for a great eleven years. life is good and i have been so blessed to be your wife. i love that i am so excited to see you walk through the door. i love that i can't wait to talk to you about everything and anything.

and i love that i am still in love with you.

happy eleven years. and happy a million more...

100 random things about nothings (maybe 100--we'll see

1. it was 35 degrees outside yesterday morning when i walked to kids to school.
2. the house was 46.
3. we left the windows open.
4. i loved it.
5. not good for the kids--made them super whiney.
6. and there was frost on the grass.
7. today was a little warmer--10 degrees warmer.
8. shawn turned on the furnace last night.
9. i was not happy.
10. i turned it off.
11. in the last two days, i have helped to can peaches and applesauce.
12. michael is one of about five students who are half-day kindergartners.
13. and there are four kindergarten classes.
14. and it costs $250 a month for full day.
15. i found out they are doing core curriculum in the afternoon.
16. stuff that is required that michael learn.
17. i am very frustrated and angry.
18. i have a meeting with the principal tomorrow.
19. my first time EVER.
20. i am scared--to defend my decision to keep him half-day.
21. shawn has to work.
22. so i have to go alone.
23. anna is having culture shock.
24. she believes (and i think she is right--but doesn't matter) that her teacher doesn't go to church. she is "doing things heavenly father wouldn't like" like she has tattoos and she thinks she drinks coffee--but then again "i guess it could be hot chocolate".
25. some of the girls at school dress immodestly. and a lot of the boys have long hair.
26. poor thing.
27. i found a great bike at the thrifty shoppe for anna. it is a normally $200 or so bike and i got it for $6.
28. i am really hungry but i don't know what to eat.
29. i should take a shower.
30. it requires a lot of energy.
31. shawn has been working later lately.
32. and it takes him an hour to get home. because he has to walk to my car. go to blockbuster and or the library. and then drive. sometimes he stops to get a drink. 33. a whole freakin' hour.
34. it used to be five minutes, seven if he hit the light.
35. he drives my car to save on gas.
36. i don't like driving the truck.
37. it is really messy right now.
38. i have to clean my house for my family.
39. they are coming on friday.
40. stake conference is this weekend.
41. it is four hours away.
42. they suggest you get a hotel.
43. i don't think we will go because my family is coming.
44. i have a lot of cleaning to do.
45. ugh.
46. i have a quilt i have to finish soon.
47. the people that moved into my house after us, killed my beautiful flowers.
48. dead.
49. rotten people.
50. michael is watching sponge bob again.
51. anna rode her bike to school today for the first time.
52. it's the thing to do.
53. mikey rode his scooter.
54. it's the other thing to do.
55. i walked and couldn't keep up.
56. anna wants to come home by herself.
57. i won't let her.
58. anna heard that vanessa from high school musical took naked pictures of herself and put them on the internet.
59. vanessa is no longer anna's second favorite person from high school musical.
60. i don't know who is.
61. it's almost time for 90210.
62. i am trying to quit.
63. really.
64. i am in the mood for some really great cake.
65. but not chocolate.
66. pound cake or lemon or something like that.
67. i am really nervous about the meeting with the principal.
68. i just want what's best for mikey.
69. they looked so cute on their bike and scooter this morning. with their backpacks and helmets.
70. i love that it is fall time.
71. my favorite season.
72. last night and the night before i went to bed and was asleep by nine o'clock.
73. getting up at 630 is killing me.
74. i really wish school started at nine instead of 750.
75. but the kids have been going to bed earlier.
76. there is a commercial here for the "denver school of massage therapy." but during the commercial there is a picture of some pamphlets that say "ucmt" utah college of massage therapy.
77. a news reporter was telling a story on cancun. but called cancun "concun".
78. like how some people say olta instead of alta or nevoda instead of nevada.
79. it bugs me.
80. 90210 is officially on.
81. and i have 19 more to go.
82. i think that 99% of the moms here are super skinny.
83. no fatties like me.
84. oh well.
85. i think i would like to take a nap today.
86. but i did get 9 and a half hours of sleep last night.
87. so i guess i will clean.
88. after 90210 of course.
89. both back to back episodes.
90. maybe i will clean during the commercials.
91. hah!
92. my fingers are getting tired.
93. and cold.
94. since i did turn the furnace off and open the windows.
95. i think i might make fettucine for dinner.
96. i love comfort foods.
97. i wonder if i will get some mail today.
98. will it be worth going over to the post office?
99. there wasn't any yesterday.
100. i should only go every other day.

tales of loneliness

i hate the kids being in school. i never thought i would say that. but the morning is sooo long and lonesome. i wish they were here. mikey comes home at 1130. i have had the thought to hold him back one more year just so that i am not so lonely. but that wouldn't be fair.

i have no friends here. i so much miss my friends. i want to be able to be with them and do nothing or something or nothing. just to be close. to go and hang out at someone else's home.

my family is leaving tomorrow for the annual family vacation. and we are not going. and i am so sad. i can't stop crying. i want to go and play and have fun and make good memories. but shawn can't get work off and i don't want to drive that far by myself. lame.

today is dark and rainy and gloomy. today i feel really alone.

ps i think my house was just almost struck by lightening.

1st day of school...oh, and anna cut her hair

anna started 2nd grade today (holy crap) and mikey started kindergarten(double holy crap). but aren't they cute.

anna tried to cut herself some bangs. with nail clippers. so i did my best to make it look a little better. if you look closely, i think you can see in middle part of her bangs is a bit shorter area--that is her doing. i think this may be the 4th time she has cut her own hair. ugh.

and please don't ask about their outfits. i have been sick.

my dad

my dad turned 60 years old on saturday.

my dad is a pretty funny guy. you can always expect a to laugh around him, even in sad and troubled times. he believes that laughter is the best medicine.

my dad is excellent at practical jokes. if you have ever been tricked or think you have been tricked, you can blame it on my dad.

my dad is smart. he will kill you at jeopardy. so don't even play with him.

my dad is empathetic. he will always give someone the benefit of the doubt. he is never quick to judge.

my dad is a great grandpa. he calls the kids almost everyday to talk and see how they are doing. he loves them.

my dad loves me. and i have always known that my dad loves me. and for a girl growing up this is probably one of the greatest things to know.

thanks dad, i love you. happy birthday!

say what?

michael has really been into playing "paper, rock, scissors" lately. tonight we (shawn and i) were trying to coax michael into his bed with me laying by him (they ALWAYS want shawn).

shawn told him to come play "paper, rock, scissors" with me and then whispered in his ear something to the effect of "do nuclear bomb (which for those of you who don't know and don't get it--the nuclear bomb destroys paper, rock AND scissors).

well, mikey gets a sly grin on his face and comes and jumps on the bed. he reaches his hand over and starts tickling my bumb.

i guess he heard shawn say "go tickle her bumb."

my confused son

we were watching the view the other morning with "ross the intern" as a co-host. mikey was watching more intently than i thought.

he finally asked me, pointing to ross, "is that a boy o a guhl (i love the way he says girl)?"

i giggled and said, "oh he's a boy."

and mikey replied, "he is acting weelly guhly. why is he acting guhly?"

i could only laugh. mikey is apparently very observant.

take me out the ball game...

the boys (charles--shawn's pop--shawn and mikey) and i went to the rockies game...the girls went shopping (i love a baseball game)








this was my view...isn't it great?

fa-ra-ra-ra-ra!

grandma burton just got back from china...the girls with anna are emily and katie, shawn's brother's girls. they all came to visit last week.

doesn't mikey look like he would fit right in over in china?

she got her ears pierced...

total worry before








total pride after


i know you probably can't see her tiny red ears with cute little studs in them, but they are there (click on pic for a close-up, maybe?). she can't stop saying "i can't believe my ears are pierced." all day, everyday since tuesday. she cracks me up.

home sweet home

here is our new home. and i love it. you are all welcome to come and visit anytime...there is plenty of room.

new look? yes? no?

so, i decided to try a new look...it was suppose to be easier than i made it be. i am not a computer genius but it worked. what do you think? i went to shappytulips and i think it worked mostly. hope you enjoy! really, i can't believe i did it. i hope you like it...i hope i like it.

have a great day!

i am still here...i think

as we were going to costco the other day, we passed the "eagle baptist church". anna wondered if that was where she would go to get baptized. she's a thinker.

we also went to the rodeo saturday night. anna wondered why everyone was drinking beer. honey, we ain't in utah anymore.

i am still trying to get unpacked and settled. plus i am trying to keep the kids busy. we signed up for swimming lessons, got library cards, and well, i think that's about it. pretty boring.

shawn's new office...vail, colorado

oh, one more random thing

shawn made me a kitchen island when we lived on pine street. the countertop here is the exact one that shawn used on our island. funny.

rocky mountain high?

so we are here. not quite settled. but here. and here is a bit of randomness about how it's been so far.

we arrived on sunday. our stuff came monday night.

today, friday, i finally have internet access with a computer set up.

yesterday, i had a phone line but could not find the phone. shawn found it late last night.

i get absolutely no cell phone coverage here.

i get absolutely no tv stations here. and the direct tv people screwed up so now i won't get any stations until late next week. it sucks.

i only get random radio stations at random times. (i did get ksl nightside in the other night).

we have had an afternoon or evening thunderstorm EVERYDAY and i love it. the kids and i sit out on the porch and count the time between lightening strikes and thunder. love it.

i have made dinner every night this week (except maybe tonight we will eat out--i have to go to the walmart in avon).

michael is deathly afraid of "mosses" (moths).

the kids have made new friends with kids next door--a boy who is 7 and a girl who is 5. it's been great.

really, it has been great so far. just a few minor breakdowns from me because i felt i was cut off from the world. but hopefully with the phone and the internet things will get better. and i LOVE the afternoon thunderstorms even though there was a mudslide yesterday afternoon and it took shawn two freakin' hours to get home and i had no idea what was going on. all i knew was that he was going to leave about 4:30 and he got home about 7:30 (he stayed at work until 5:30 because he heard the traffic was bad--he did not know why either). and since i have no cell phone service, he could not get a hold of me to let me know where he was and what was going on.

but i still love the thunderstorms.

count down has begun...

and really, i am not a good self-motivator. instead, i am a procrastinator. it sucks. i need good positive talk. i can do it. baby steps. you look great today. move it, move it, move it!

argh.

things i believe in but...

but i am not always faithful at:

a clean car
an organized home
a good happy attitude
a shiny sink every night
exercising
reading the scriptures
vacations
reading with the kids EVERY day
gardens
making the bed every day
thank you cards
eating dinner at home
keeping a daily journal
wearing make-up ever day
doing my hair every day
early to bed, early to rise
giving others the benefit of the doubt
not yelling at the kids
not wasting time
no library fines (currently up to $11.10)
grocery shopping with a list
date night
fresh fruits and vegetables
continuing education
trying new things

really, i don't feel guilty about this list at all. for i also believe in:

"for every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven" (or however it goes).

happy day.

things i believe in

some are copies of others but oh well:

God
me
a good marriage
the family
milk in a glass (not a plastic cup)
air conditioning
the sun
moisturizer
lazy days
hard work
tipping good
karma
prayer
singing (at the top of your lungs)
dancing--everyday
my own bed
epidurals
anti-depressants
talk therapy
bubble baths
hgtv
game shows
pedicures
shaving the hair on your toes
a good pair of scissors in every drawer
oreos & milk (in a glass of course)
clean sheets
cruises
ibuprofen
talk radio
non-holey underwear
blogging
cats
babies
good friends
integrity
quilting
a good fabric store
fresh flowers
aveeno lotion
fresh cut grass
straight-from-the-garden tomatoes
real butter
the sound of music
personal experiences
the United States of America
baseball games and hot dogs
would-be writers guild
my parents
schooling
sisters
a good belly laugh
a good cry
windshield shades
my kids
shawn
love
saying "i love you"

just a photo so you all can tell how cute my kiddies are...

how about we just organize instead?

katie,annie and mickey are coming over today to help me de-crap. and i am totally afraid. mostly of katie. she is ruthless. i know she would throw it all away if she could. annie said she would mediate. but i am still unsure of how mediating she will be. she likes to throw things out too. and mickey? well i think she may just want to take all my stuff home with her--at least all of the good stuff. i am not sure if i can part with my crap. i just don't know. it is a big step. i hope i am not emotional about it. i better go out and get started before they get here. maybe i can hide stuff?

and so it goes...

thanks. vomit. katie. puke.

things i think i will miss...besides friends and fam, of course

first and foremost:
the would-be writers guild!
then (in no particular order):
cafe rio
morelia's
the mall (not that i go a lot)
sitting on the porch in the evenings at my parents
sunday dinner at mom and dad's--i am not quite sure what i will do
road construcion-ha!
babysitters
my doctors--ALL of them
savers
di
harvest days
halloween with the fam
birthday parties--any parties!
the library (they have one in eagle, but i don't know how it is)

well, that's it for now. i probably will be adding to the list.

more details

well, we will be living in eagle, colorado. yes, that is the place of the kobe bryant scandal.
shawn and i went to find a place to live. we found a cute 4 bed 3 bath house for rent in eagle. it is a block from a new school and about 30 miles from vail. shawn will actually have a commute now--oh well.
there really is nothing in eagle except a few fast food restaurants (wendy's, bk, subway, taco bell-long john silver's--no mcdonalds!). i guess i will really have to start cooking.
there is a grocery store.
there are a few hotels.
and a few gas stations, including the "loaf'n'jug".
the closest walmart is twenty minutes away.
the closest target is thirty minutes away--in the opposite direction of walmart. really that sucks because i would like to hit both in a day.
there is, however, a costco about 7 miles out of eagle in gypsum. that is also where we will go to church.
the valley is really beautiful. i am excited and think it will be great.

just so you all know...

we are moving. a little bit far away. to vail (or rather some nearby town), colorado. we will be gone in about a month. shawn is going to be working on the job site (a four seasons hotel). he is really excited. as am i. you can all come to visit. anytime. i hear the skiing is great. but i don't ski. but you can come to ski. anytime.

nothing exciting, really

as we were finishing up a nice father's day dinner, mikey called out "who wants to play with me." cute little jenna (katie's second child) responded "i do" to which mikey then responded "i wasn't talking to you denna."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

shawn told me yesterday afternoon he went into the front room to watch some tv. anna was there watching her show. he asked her for the remote. with a look of some kind of annoyance, she replied, "okay. but only because it is father's day."

nightmare of my life

i had a terrible awful scary dream last night. i can't believe how real it felt. i was distressed. i was crying. i was having an anxiety attack in my dream. and i am still not completely convinced it was just a dream--i will have to find out today--if possible.
i dreamed that cafe rio had changed. when we first got to cafe rio, i was looking in the windows as i always do to see how long the line is. it was empty and i couldn't believe it--no one was there! not eating, not waiting in line--no one! my first thought was excitement--we wouldn't have to wait to get our food. then as we entered the first anxiety appeared. things had changed. the whole restaraunt had changed--it was a bit of an underwater theme--lots of blue with a bit of orange. i looked around and instead of there being one long line, there were two lines. we went to one of the sides with a line. shawn and i were first. i ordered a pork taco. but they told me i might not want it--it came with a mini octopus on top (this idea is from writing last night--thanks a lot people). i didn't understand and as i stood there trying to understand (very hard for me to understand a think spanish accent), more people came in--some stood in line behind me and others went to to the other line.
i couldn't grasp my mind around the octopus thing. all i wanted was a pork taco. i decided i should go to the other line and see what the other worker had to say. i left the line frustrated. the rest of my family had their orders and were eating. there food didn't look the same. someone had mexi-fries aka tater tots--gross! i didn't realize that other people had come in while i was in line all that time with the first man. i wanted so bad to go to the front of line, but no one let me. i stood in that long second line. for a long time. and i didn't get a pork taco--because of the octopus-they wouldn't put it on the side. so instead, i ended up with something else that i didn't know what it was.
i was so disappointed and sad. my family did not like the new cafe rio at all. i told the worker it was awful and he said that he had had complaints since thursday when it had all changed.
i woke feeling anxious and scared. then, i realized it must be a dream--a nightmare! but i am still not sure, so i may make a drive-by today and if all looks well, i may go in for a pork taco-minus the octopus!

and he is only in preschool...

mikey informed me that "teacha asseley had a wed-see".
i couldn't figure it out.
"a red seat?" no
"a real seat?" no
"wuh, wuh, wed-see." he said--using the sounds he is learning, like a good boy.
"is it something you eat" no
"is it something you play with" no
"is it something you do" no
"is it something you wear" yes--finally
"is it a skirt" no
"is it a shirt" no
and i continued on with everything you could possibly wear from a hat to a pair of socks--and it was all no.
"wear do you wear it?" i asked
"on yo bum, mom." he said.
"oh," i finally got it. "a wedgie!"
"yes." he said. "sometimes when she dits down, she has a wed-see."
"michael," i told him, "tell teacher ashley to pull up her pants."

if only...

anna got out of school for the summer on thursday. she told him he gets out on tuesday. he asked:

"when do we get out of chuch?"

dance, dance, dance

the kids had their dance recital on saturday night. they did so good! kamille, their teacher, does such a great job--mikey even danced a little on the stage in front of everyone! the girls looked so cute with their costumes and make-up. it was a great time for everyone!

p.s. for those of you concerned that michael is in a dance class, no worries. i don't think shawn will let me put him in next year--he didn't know about this year until about half-way through. he wasn't too happy. he wants him in golf or baseball or some other sport--typical male. i don't see the problem--boys dance all the time--i can totally see michael on "so you think you can dance" in a few years. the guy who won last year was a returned missionary and everything!

mother's day from my daughter

anna made a super-cute mother's day book for me for mother's day.
there are about ten pages with different little sentences and fill-in-the-blanks on each page. for example:

"if mom could have one wish come true, she would wish for..."
anna filled in "my hole house to be clean". very thoughtful and true.

"our happiest time together was when..."
anna put "we went shoping when my brother and my dad went to the monster trucks."
very thoughtful and sweet.

however, i am a bit concerned about this page:
"my mom is so smart, she even knows how to..."
her reply: "watch t.v."

huh? smart enough to watch t.v.? i guess i need to work on my intelligence image with her.

or, do you think she thinks she is smarter than i?

may 4, 2007

anna turned seven almost one week ago. i can't believe it. she called home from school the other morning. she was worried about her lunch money (i wrote the check and forgot to send it with her). i was amazed at her voice and how grown up she sounded. and at yet how young and sweet she sounded. i can't believe how much time has gone by...

she looks and acts so big--always wanting to do more and learn more (really-she is non-stop--there is no rest for me). i am excited but still quite afraid of what the future holds for her. she is bright and cute and funny and eager--full of life. she amazes me every day!

i am so blessed to be her mom (now let's hope i don't screw it up too much!).

happy birthday, sweetie! i love you!

three-word answers

apparently the trick is to answer the questions in three words only--no more, no less.

1. Where is your cell phone? not sure--car?
2. Boyfriend/girlfriend? girlfriends--love them
3. hair? split-end infested
4. Your mother? wouldn't want anyoneelse (okay, that's pushing it)
5. Your father? funny, wise, smart
6. Your favorite item(s)? bed, pillow, blanket
7. Your dream last night? build-a-bear in alaska
8. Your favorite drink? mcdonald's coca cola
9. Your dream guy/girl? shawn michael burton
10. The room you are in? four in one (living, office, dining, craft)
11. Your fear? losing loved ones
12. What do you want to be in 10 years? out of debt
13. Who did you hang out with last night? mckeas, huffmans, amber
14. What are you not? organized, dishonest, pregnant
15. Are you in love? very much so
16. One of your wish list items? my own home
17. What time is it? ten twenty o'clock
18. The last thing you did? got mikey dressed
19. What are you wearing? pajamas, socks, contacts
20. Your favorite book? don't have one
21. The last thing you ate? chips ahoy cookie (barf)
22. Your life? better than expected
23. Your mood? good most days
24. Your friends? values, loved, fun
25. What are you thinking about right now? cleaning my house
26. Your car? needs a wash
27. What are you doing at this moment? scratching my head
28. Your summer? my birthday season
29. Your relationship status? very happily married
30. What is on your TV screen? some soap opera (it came on after the price is right and i haven't changed the channel yet)
31. When is the last time you laughed? today with mikey
32. Last time you cried? can't remember--amazing
33. School? both elementary soon

okay. that's it. you turn.

fyi

At three minutes and four seconds after 2 AM on the 6th of May this year, the time and date will be:

02:03:04 05/06/07.

This will never happen again.

Just thought you would like to know this trivial tidbit.

(this info is courtesy of a fwd email--i didn't think of it on my own)

tag--i'm it

here are five little known facts about me which i am not sure if they are really little known--we'll see:

1. i have had stitches only once in my life and they were on purpose not by accident: i had a little hangy thing between my two front teeth. in third grade it was removed and 2 or 3 stitches were put it place to bring my gums back to together. i have never cut myself or even had stitches from having my babies--not a thing.
2. i have always had a bad habit of biting my nails--except for the two months i was engaged (too many people looking at my hands).
3. i love to sleep on the couch and i always have. my dad used to say "i don't know why you have a room, you never even sleep in it". i think it is a security thing--i used to (and still do although not as frequent) have really horrible nightmares. i am getting better now since i sleep through the night.
4. speaking of dreams, i have deja vu a lot--it's freaky. my latest occurred with the vt shooting last week. disturbing. really disturbing. (it's not always with bad things.)
5. i talk to myself all the time. outloud. it's great. and i talk to things--objects--like they can hear me and respond back. it's kind of nice to always have something or someone (i am a great listener) to listen.

there you go. fascinating. i tag mom, katie, mickey, michele and annie (i guess, annnie, that means you have to start a blog!)

my mom

here's one more to add to your list:
mother clucker
enjoy!!

girl going postal

hey friends:
here's a new blog to check out when you got some time. it will be good. i am so excited!

would you like some cheese with that whine?

last night we were coming home late. and, of course, anna was whining.
"daddy, my legs are so tired. will you carry me to my bed?"
"and daddy, i am so thirsty. will you get me a drink?"
"and daddy. . ."
whiny, whiny, whiny.
i told her to stop whining.
"but i am not whining" in her most whiny voice yet.
so i mimicked, "but i am not whing!"
"no, mom, i am not whining"
"i am not whining" i whiningly repeated.
then she says, in a loud, extra whiny voice:
"i am NOT whining!! this is my sleepy voice."

wow, i didn't even come up with that when i was young. if i had only known...

mikey, in his own handwriting

he has learned to write his name. being a good mom, i told him that an e has only three lines. he told me it looks better with more. so, being a good mom, i let him keep all his lines.

little bunny froo-froo

happy easter! i think this picture is pretty funny. if you can name what's missing, you win!














picture perfect!













the granquist grandkids:
back row: michael (4), holly(almost 2), rachel (2), ethan (4)
front row: erin (6), anna (6), jenna (4)
baby: matthew (6 months)